We support good work in Yellowstone County.
Our grant programs provide essential aid to local non-profits whose work serves people under our impact areas: Building Futures, Community Resiliency, and Non-Profit Empowerment. We use community input to identify worthy recipients, avoid duplicative efforts, and to target effective, sustainable initiatives.
In 2024, we awarded $300,000 to 14 different non-profits through our Community Investment Grants. We've completed our application process for 2025 and are excited to roll out a new 3-year model for Community Investment Grants.
We're also excited to fund four Community Housing Navigators (CHNs) at local non-profits, and to open up access to our new Housing Solutions Fund. We've completed the CHN application process and will announce awardees soon.
Our 2024 Community Investment Grant recipients
Head Start, Inc: $38,196
Literacy, language & lifelong success/conscious discipline implementation: Funds will be split between two projects; the purchase of two "Inchy the Bookworm" book vending machines and preschool appropriate books to stock the machines, and training staff to support Head Start's efforts in full implementation of Conscious Discipline in classrooms and in all facets of parent education.
Billings Family YMCA: $19,306
Educational components create school readiness preschool students: Funds will be used to provide critical education components, financial assistance, and healthy snacks to enable children ages 3 to 5 years old to start them down the path of academic success from kindergarten until they graduate.
Tumbleweed: $10,000
Fostering enduring transformations that pave the way for brighter futures: The School Readiness Program is a comprehensive initiative designed to empower children and youth from low-income families with the tools and resources they need to excel academically and succeed in their educational journey.
Young Families Early Head Start: $20,000
Curriculum aids: Funds will be used to directly enhance our curriculum and to aide in additional training of the teachers as well as help us with overall operating costs.
Education Foundation for Billings Public Schools: $18,915
Mobile food program: Funds will be used to support a newly developed Mobile Food program to serve food insecure children over the summer. The program will serve as a "pantry on wheels", bringing nutritional support and providing a wellness check to highly vulnerable children.
Friends of the Children – Eastern Montana: $10,000
Investing in Billings’ Youth: violent crime and gang prevention through relationship-based mentoring: Using a relationship-based, professional mentoring program to prevent youth violent crime and gang activity. Our comprehensive model supports youth educational goals and breaks intergenerational cycles of poverty.
Special Olympics: $10,000
Revitalization and engagement of Special Olympics Montana school age teams: Special Olympics will provide a summit for volunteer leaders, educating and preparing them to support new school age teams and re-engage existing-but-inactive school age teams. Start-up costs will be provided for two new school age teams in Yellowstone County.
YWCA Billings: $31,792
Crisis Stabilization for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Human Trafficking: Funds will be used to support operations of YWCA Billings and its programs.
Veterans Navigation Network: $20,000
Resource Counseling, Case Management & Timely Intervention to Prevent Crisis: Funds will help support staff trained in assessment of veteran family needs, resource counseling to ensure responsive action, case management and individual follow-up to ensure that needs are met.
Family Service: $20,000
Feed, Furnish, Fortify: Funds will be used to provide an umbrella over the four main programs offered to our Yellowstone County neighbors. These programs provide assistance in order to create a bridge from crisis to stability.
District 7 HRDC: $25,000
Wheels for Work/Homeless prevention program: Funds will be split between two projects; helping working individuals/families with car repairs and individuals/families looking for work with bus passes and gas cards, and emergency housing assistance and homeless prevention activities to keep low-income people housed.
CASA of Yellowstone County: $10,000
Volunteer court-appointed special advocates for youth in foster care: Funds will be used to recruit, train, and support CASA volunteers to serve additional children in foster care.
Education Foundation for Billings Public Schools: $10,000
Family Resource Center: Funds will benefit the BPS Family Resource Center to support students experiencing homelessness to connect to emergency basic needs and community resources so students have the tools and support they need to attend and achieve in school.
Adult Resource Alliance: $31,792
Senior Community Health Program: Funds will be used to expand the Senior Community Health Program in evaluating Yellowstone County seniors, assisting them in accessing community services which will help them continue to live safely and independently.
Veterans Navigation Network: $15,000
Helping our senior veterans and their families to thrive: Funds will be used to help at least 100 of our older veterans to understand and receive help navigating and engaging both community and/or VA resources available, so they might age with dignity and feel valued as community residents.